Neville Chamberlain (1869 - 1940)


Born into the higher echelons of the British establishment, Chamberlain eventually followed his father into politics, after a successful business career. He became infamous as the Prime Minister who appeased the 20th century’s greatest despot.


Chamberlain was made Lord Mayor of Birmingham in 1915 and supervised conscription during WWI. He served as a Cabinet minister during the 1920s and 1930s, before becoming Prime Minister in 1937, when Hitler’s re-armament of Germany was already in full swing.


As Germany began annexing its neighbouring nations in 1938, Chamberlain travelled to Berlin to strike a deal. He famously returned, waving a declaration signed by Hitler promising peace. Six months later, the Germans were bombing Poland.


Chamberlain’s government immediately declared war on Germany, but the Prime Minister’s reputation was damaged by his trust in Hitler. Winston Churchill took over the leadership in May 1940. Chamberlain died the following October.


In hindsight, Chamberlain’s actions are seen as a canny manoeuvre – his appeasement allowed Britain to consolidate its resources in order to thwart Hitler effectively.